Animal Bites / Rabies Investigations

Environmental Health

Animal Bites / Rabies Investigations

Animal Bite Investigations help to prevent the spread of rabies, a viral disease affecting the central nervous system. Any mammal can get rabies. The most common carriers of rabies are raccoons, skunks, bats, foxes, bobcats and coyotes. Domestic pets and mammals can also get rabies.

It is also possible, but quite rare, that people may get rabies if infectious material from a rabid animal enters a wound or mucous membranes.

Environmental Health staff work closely with county animal control officers to investigate animal bite cases, quarantine animals as required and submit necessary specimens to the state laboratory for testing. You can download or view the Rabies Prevention and Control in Florida 2014 guide.